Zutara 2018
by Benevolous
Summary: Zutara Week 2018, thought I would try my hand at some One Shots ft. our favourite couple. Enjoy the Zutara goodness. Some I may continue on, depending on plot bunnies and time. We shall see.


Disclaimer: I own nothing, Jon Snow (Don't own that either).

First Kiss

"Thank you Katara." Zuko whispered breathlessly. Katara could feel the tears coming down her cheeks as she examined his pallid face; it had been so close. Too close.

"I think I'm the one who would should be thanking you." She took his hand and searched his eyes, finding that inner peace he displayed so comfortably in her presence, and letting herself relax, knowing she had saved him from certain death. He reached up, pulling himself into a sitting position, his abdominal muscles contracting with the effort, _don't ogle him now, Katara, he's only just come back from the dead, and for La's sake, he has a hole in his chest!_ Katara shook her head and helped the firebender to his feet, supporting as much of his weight as his pride would allow.

Together, the two of them looked towards the fallen princess. She was writhing and crying, a caterwauling pitch that seared Katara's eardrums. Though she pitied Azula for her clear mental demise, she couldn't stop the irritated scowl she threw the princess' way. She wouldn't soon forget that moment when Zuko threw himself in front of the mad princess' lightning, the desperation in his eyes, the fear he wouldn't reach her in time, and the horrible smell of burned flesh, the strong, unyielding bender curled in a ball as the aftershocks rocked from his heart and his strong limbs.

"Katara…" he whispered, turning to look at her. She met his eyes, and shuddered at the emotion there. She brought her hand up to cup his cheek, and he leaned in to her delicate touch, his eyes heavy with some feeling she didn't know if she was ready to face. Suddenly, his head wobbled, feet stumbling, his eyes suddenly unfocused.

"Zuko!" She yelled, giving his face a light smack, desperate times, as they say. He shook his head and seemed to come back for a minute, his eyes focusing again on her face. "Come on firebender, let's get you inside. I need to do a proper healing on you."

She tried to pull him along, but Zuko remained where he was, his superior strength seemingly nonplussed by the current hole in his chest.

"Azula. I cant leave her there." He said, sounding as though he planned to march over there and sort her out himself. As though he didn't have a hole in his chest. Firebenders.

"I will come for her as soon as you are settled, Zuko. I promise." It didn't seem like her heard her, his gaze still focused on his quietly (thank Tui) crying sister. "Please Zuko. I need to get you in bed so I can have a better look at your chest." Zuko's good eye went wide and he whipped around to face her. Ahh, so he heard that. Boys.

"So I can prevent it from getting an infection." She clarified, blushing at his staring. Slowly, a satisfied smirk lit up his face, though his eyes still seemed a bit distant. The expression almost looked like his – as Sokka would say – Angry Jerk Face, though without the mischievous glimmer in his eyes.

"If you insist, I shall accompany you to bed, Master Katara." She almost choked, who was he and what had he done to normal awkward Zuko? Maybe he was in shock. Ha. Geddit. Shock. Because of the lightning. Anyway,

"Oook, Zuko. I got you, just walk slowly with me now." She had her hand wrapped around his middle, with his arm over her shoulder. When had he gotten so damned big? What does this guy eat? Must be those fireflakes his people are so fond of.

"Katara. Kaaaatara. Katarara. 'Tara. Sifu Katara. Master Katara. Princess Katara of–"

"Zuko! Shush, I am trying to concentrate on not dropping you on these marble floors." She half dragged him towards a random wing of the palace – which was huge – hoping she would be able to find a bedchamber soon, she felt like she was going to pass out. She knew the main issue with him passing out before she found him a place to rest was more about her inability to move him after he went down than making his injury worse. She was confident in her healing abilities, but surely it wouldn't be good conduct for a healer to leave her patient on the floor. How indecent.

She heard a gasp from her left, a corridor parallel to the one she and Zuko were currently shuffling through, separated by a lovely garden area. Katara wheeled the firebender around, one hand holding onto his waist, on preparing to grab the water from the little pond, currently occupied by turtleducks. There was a group of girls, young women really, huddled together, looking at her with terrified faces. They were wearing the garb of palace servants, sworn to serve the Fire Lord and his family, but did that service extend to Zuko?

"Come closer, I won't hurt you." She said, peacefully but still with enough gusto to ensure these girls knew not to try anything funny. The servant girls looked a young woman in the middle, seemingly taking up her role as an unofficial leader. She stepped forward. She wasn't an overly pretty girl, pallid skin, mousy brown hair, but she had a quiet strength about her, strength that was reflected clearly in her brown eyes. She was about to open her mouth when she saw who Katara was supporting, his posture teetering them both.

"Prince Zuko!" She did a weird walking bow, coming to stand within five feet of the bending pair.

"What is your name?" Katara asked the girl.

"Zala, my lady. We were the ladies maids for Princess Azula, before she banished us." She bowed again, this time in Katara's direction. Katara ignored the kowtow, and instead waved the others over.

"I need help getting Zuko into bed." Zala's eyes widened. "To help him heal! He's just won his Agni Kai against the princess, and needs to tend to his injury." She glanced pointedly to his chest and the star shaped mark now maring his apple skin.

Zala's eyes widened further, and she said "Of course, girls! Prepare the Fire Lord's bedchamber. I will help you with him, my lady."

"Fire Lord's bedchamber? I don't think he will want to be in his father's rooms." Katara remarked, certain Zuko would want to be anywhere else, including the floor, then where his crazy father plotted destruction and world domination. Zala started,

"My lady, you need not worry. Fire Lord Ozai did not sleep in this part of the palace. These rooms have remained untouched for eight years." Hmm. Since Azulon's reign came to an end then. Interesting.

"Very well. Grab his arm and lead the way." The girl brought Zuko's other arm around her and steered us toward the seemingly endless hallways, finally stopping at two _massive_ red doors, two stories high with gold dragons curling around the handles. Spirits, these people were rich. Doors aside, the two women hauled the rapidly declining firebender through the sitting area, complete with – naturally – marble tables and gold chairs, floor to ceiling length mirrors, armoires draped in red and gold velvet, and, surprisingly, fresh flowers. Zala noted the waterbender's stare and remarked,

"We freshen up these rooms time to time, replacing the dead flowers every other week. We are lucky these rooms were just cleaned yesterday." Katara nodded, moving through the sitting room into the bedroom. She should have known, with doors like those to the outside, what the bedroom would look like on the inside. A massive, dark wood four poster bed, framed with velvet and silt curtains, in varying shades of, you guessed it, red and gold. Fluffy pillows sat invitingly along the ornate headboard. Honestly, the whole of Team Avatar could fit in this bed. Possibly including Appa. Would have to take a bit of maneuvering…anyway.

Katara and Zala set the fire prince down on the bed, Katara hopping behind him to pull him up fully. She clasped her hands against his sternum and pulled, too hard as Zala swung his legs around she fell back against the pillows with Zuko firmly lying between her legs, slumped head resting right on her boobs. Great.

"My lady," Zala began, "Do you need help?" It seemed the girl was trying not to laugh at the expression on Katara's face. Fair play. She can't say she wouldn't have been amused if the situation wasn't so immediately humiliating…it wouldn't be so bad if he were conscious. Hmmm. Musings.

"Thank you Zala." Katara untangled herself from her thoroughly passed out friend, climbing over to his right side. "I will need some fresh water, and clean bandages. Maybe some food too. Nothing too spicy, if it's not too much a bother." She met the girl's wide brown eyes, and Zala nodded, smiled and bowed to her.

"Of course, my lady. I will return shortly." The girl walked back out backwards, doing that walk-bow thing again. Maybe it was a fire nation thing. Hm.

Katara turned back to the snoozing prince. His black hair was in his face, grown long now to cover his eyes. She smoothed her hand over the soft strands, finger combing the ends to get the knots out. Once she was finished with his hair she moved lower, caressing his cheeks, scarred and unscarred. She hadn't touched it since that day in Ba Sing Se, and though it horrified her how it came to be, she did not think his scar made him any less of a man, any less handsome. His scar showed only that he was brave, and strong, and that he had a deep hearted love for his people. He really would make a great Fire Lord. She smiled down at him as her thumb brushed his lips.

"My Lady."

Katara started, jerking her hand away from Zuko's face at lightning speed. Lightning. Geddit.

"Apologies, my lady, but I have what you required." She gestured with her hands, indicating the three girls behind her to come forward. "Li here is training to be a healer, perhaps she may help you in treating Prince Zuko's injury?" Katara nodded gratefully. She was truly exhausted and would take all the help she could get. She also needed to get messenger hawks out…she needed to know how Sokka, Toph and Suki fared…and Aang! Everything hit her at once, the airships, Ozai, the White Lotus' reclaiming of Ba Sing Se. Was everyone alive? Did they stop the firebenders from burning down the Earth Kingdom? Was Ozai dead? Too many thoughts, not enough head space. She started hyperventilating. The servant girls looked alarmed, and Zala and Li rushed forward, grabbing at her forearms, shushing her, telling her it will be ok. How can it be ok, if she doesn't even know if her family was alive?!

"Hawks. Hawks, I need messenger hawks." She whirled around to the other servant girls, who looked between her and Zala.

"Please!" Zala grabbed her face, squeezing her chin so Katara was forced to look her in the eye.

"My lady, you are in shock, you need to calm your heart or you will hurt yourself." Calm. Calm, right. Be calm. Calm,

Katara. She breathed in and out. Closing her eyes.

 _Sqwuak!_

The girls all jumped. There! At the window, a messenger hawk. This one she recognised. Hawky! She tore out of Zala's hands, ran to the window and pried the heavy latch open, allowing the hawk to soar into the room. Hawky landed on her shoulder, and nuzzled her cheek in a friendly hello. She relieved him of his burden on his back, and tore open the hastily written letter, obviously in Sokka's clumsy scrawl:

Katara

We are all alive! Aang came back, can you believe it? He said something about a Lion Turtle abducting him. No idea what that means. But you should have seen it! He went all glowy, threw water and stone and fire and air all at once at Ozai! Buuut, he didn't kill him. He took his bending away – didn't know avatars could do that? Me neither. So, the crazy jerk bender is alive, and managed to say a few words to Suki, and before I could hit him with Boomerang, WHAM! Suki kicked him right in the family jewels. That shut him up. Go Suki!

Toph Suki and I took down all the air ships – the magnificent feat is too great for mere words in a letter, I must regale you with the story when I see you. How did the fight with Azula go? How's Zuko? Update your big brother please. We are working to get an airship up and as soon as we can we will be flying to you baby sister. I love you.

Sokka

Seeing his familiar handwriting made her cry. They were alive. Aang came back and defeated Ozai. She had never heard of an avatar taking away someone's bending…frankly, that scared the shit out of her. And Lion Turtles? Hm. They will certainly have an interesting story for her when they meet up here in the capitol. She turned back to the maids, seeing one of the girls holding out a brush and paper. She smiled gratefully and went back to Hawky, who was perched on the small writing desk in the corner.

Sokka,

I am so happy you are ok. I was so worried – Zuko and I are both fine. Well, Zuko is recovering from taking a bolt of lightning from his sister. Details later. When can we expect you? I will have the maids prepare rooms for you all. Have you heard from dad and the others? Give everyone my love – and give Suki a high-five. Please come soon. I love you,

Katara

She moved to tie the letter to Hawky, and the bird turned so she had better access to his harness. She went and grabbed a random bit of meat the servant girls brought her and fed it to the bird, cooing and patting his head.

"Fly fast, my friend." She said as her chirped and flew back out the window.

She watched him flap until he was just a speck in the distance before turning to Zuko. Zala was the only one left, setting out the bandages and water, fluffing the princes pillows, and arranging the food on one of the end tables closest to his side of the bed.

"If my lady needs me, or any of us, she will have a servant stationed just outside the bedchamber. You need only ring, and one of us will come." She gave the customary bow, and started to back towards the door. Katara's words saw her pause.

"Thank you Zala. You have been more kind than I thought to expect." Zala halted.

"On the contrary, my lady, you have been more kind than we have come to expect." She bowed differently, something she has seen Zuko do towards his uncle and Master Piando. A true Fire Nation bow, one given to a greatly respected member of nobility. Her smile wobbled a bit. Saying it had been a long day was an understatement. As she heard the massive doors softly close, she turned to her prince.

Who was staring at her with golden eyes, bright and clear.

"Zuko."

She smiled and ran towards him, nearly flying thru the air as she sailed onto the bed next to where he had propped himself up, and threw her arms around him. If her vigour pained him, he made no mention. Indeed, his arms came up around her, as much as he could half sitting up, and held her to him just as tightly.

"You scared me there for a second, firebender. I was worried I would have to perform another miracle." He smiled against her neck, turning his nose in to graze it along her jawbone. She shivered.

"You should be used to performing miracles by now waterbender." He said huskily, chuckling softly at her half-hearted attempt at annoyance. She sat back and looked at him. Just him.

"The others?" He said, breaking the silent staring contest. She smiled, wide and true and fished Sokka's letter from her pocket, handing to him to read for himself. "…kidnapped by a Lion Turtle?" he asked midway through. She snorted.

"Only Aang," she said fondly. Zuko stiffened.

"He took his bending away? Holy shit." He seemed uncomfortable, whether because Aang left his father alive or due to Aang's display of this, frankly horrifying, new ability, she didn't know. Didn't want to ask. Didn't want to ruin the moment just yet, she wanted to keep reality at bay for a few moments longer. She took the letter from him, folded it neatly, and reached over him to place it on the table beside the bed. When she settled back next to him, she realised her, err, intimate proximity to Zuko. She was half on top of him, their faces close, breath mingling.

"How does your chest feel?" She asked, sitting up a bit to hoover. Normality is good, she told herself, mothering was second nature. Not weird at all to want to shed him fully of his shirt and run her hands up and down his chest, touching, exploring the panes of his abs…hmmmm. No! Stay focused. Lightning. Wound. Now.

Zuko also sat up a bit more, but he seemed less inclined to put space between them, instead reaching for her hand.

"Katara." He started. "Relax. I am ok, I promise. I promise to complain to everyone who will hear if the pain gets unbearable. Relax." She let him guide her hand to rest right where his wound, now scar, was. She shivered again.

"I am sorry I am not a better healer. If I had studied more in the North Pole I could have healed it without leaving one…but battlefield training was really all I received and –" A finger on her lips stopped her babbling.

"Are you seriously apologising for saving my life?" Zuko asked incredulously.

"Well," she mumbled, as he still had his hand over her mouth, "You saved my life. I don't even know why, or how, but you did. And I can never thank you enough and –" This time, when Zuko stopped Katara's babbling, it was with his mouth.

His lips were a bit dry, and he tasted a bit like smoke, but Katara felt like her heart was going to burst. This was nothing like the slobbery treehouse kisses from Jet, or the tentative stolen pecks from Aang. This was real. This was Zuko. And Zuko….Zuko knew what he was doing. His hand fisted in the back of her hair, leaning his head so he had deeper access to her mouth. Their tongues played together, push and pull, fighting for dominance, just as they did when they sparred with their bending. She took a leap of faith and took his full bottom lip between her teeth and bit down gently, eliciting a deep growl from his chest. The sound alone made her hum with self-satisfied pleasure.

Zuko wasn't going to go out without his own win though. He broke their kiss, trailing his lips and tongue and teeth down her jaw to her neck. Somehow, he had rolled on top of her and had situated himself between her legs. She almost giggled at the familiarity of this position from earlier. Almost. She was a bit busy, however, with Zuko's ministrations causing her to moan his name, over and over, a plea and a prayer. She could feel him smile against her neck, as his hands trailed over her waist and arms, hot and strong. She had her hands in his hair, thick and silky, and gripped him hard to pull him back to her mouth. Their first kiss was all tentative strokes, sensual and slow, like a game of Pai Sho. Patient. Their second kiss, however, was very different.

 _Fin._


End file.
